Racial hatred appeared nationally at a New Hartford Central School District, without consequence. Months later, at a local Marin County, California high school, administration also failed to address racism.
“Allowing racial outbursts and not punishing elite white students for racist activities shows educational disparities hide racial hatred. The disparities include white teachers, coaches and schools that germinate the seeds of racism,” said SQ Warriors basketball coach, Jeremiah “JB” Brown.
Seeds were planted last year when an unidentified teen used the word “Monkey” at the New Hartford Festival of the Arts in the state of New York, to depict one of the greatest athletes of our time – LeBron James; on a modified box of cereal that displayed the NBA legend James going for a dunk, as the tagline on the box read, “Eat Monkeys, Jump Like Monkeys!”
The art featured chocolate monkeys and banana shapes, promising to make the consumer jump 2 to 5 inches higher for two hours after eating the cereal.
In November 2024, White players used the same word – Monkey – at the local Mt. Tamalpais’ football program where that hate crime went undisciplined as well. The players received a slap on the wrist, with the threat of program suspension if such an event was repeated.
“As we embrace Black History Month, Juneteenth, Kwanzaa or any concocted semblance of recognition for people of color, we must demand that Mt. Tam and the New Hartford School districts redress their decisions, which supports racism and shows how the school-to-prison pipeline is constructed by white administrators throughout the nation,” said resident Facilitator LaMar Paschall.
“Persons of color know equality will never be balanced. It’s tragic to see a local school like Mt. Tam, and an East Coast equal – both who could’ve taken heed to what happened to LeBron, and our brother at Mt. Tam’s high school team. Instead, each community failed to insure racial hatred is addressed at all levels.”
On or around May 9th, the racist act against LeBron was briefly noted at 4 AM on the CBS Early Morning News with Norah O’Donnell. The Mt. Tam racial incident was spot-covered on Channel 7 ABC’s local affiliate.
Reporting by Stephanie Holland, a journalist for Spectrum News, was more representative of the feeling of those people of color who are incarcerated.
After New Hartford Central School District’s superintendent, Cosimo Tangorra Jr., minimized the teenager’s racist art piece, calling it “disheartening, overlooked, and an oversight,” reporter Holland said the superintendent declared his district would use it as a “teachable moment.”
Holland invalidated the superintendent’s decision, which carried no disciplinary actions for staff or the student.
“Let that sink in: A student art project uses the image of one of the most famous athletes in the world to portray one of the oldest racist stereotypes amongst Black people…[making it] past various teachers, administrators and parents to be displayed to the public?” Holland continued, “Once you get past your ‘teachable moment,’ how are Black students and families…supposed to feel about the fact that not only was this art created on your watch, it …was displayed to the community?”
SQRC resident Donald Edge said he witnesses the pain from intergenerational racism throughout the SQRC’s community.
“Let that sink in. We, as people of color understand the Mark Furmans and Derek Chauvins are bred and it angers us that young whites are bred at very early ages to assume a fake superiority and hatred over all people of color,” Edge said. “Not protesting, about LeBron’s, or the young Black man in Marin County, in our own backyard, saddens me. Our children’s dreams were killed in that hateful box of cereal, and on the football field of Mt.Tam.,” said Edge.
“Violence can be from hopelessness caused by racial hatred and it all must end,” said JB Brown. Sports shows the good and intolerable side of humans.”
